Mint shoes spare Japanese the shame of smelly feet

TOKYO: Worried your feet smell? In Japan, where people take off their shoes inside homes and many bars and restaurants, a shoe maker has created an insole with a mint aroma that covers up the odour of socks and feet.

The insole is fitted inside the shoe, allowing the wearer to pump mint fumes with every step. It has been a hit with businesspeople, said Yukio Aoyama, president of its maker, Tokyo-based S.A.I. International. “Businessmen here tend to wear leather shoes and I think many are bothered by their foot odour,” he said.

Japanese-style restaurants, where customers leave their shoes in lockers by the door, say minty shoes could help business.

“Many female customers wearing boots seem to worry about their foot smell and refuse to take them off,” said Hisako Washio, 59, who runs a restaurant in central Tokyo. “So even when we have empty seats they don’t want to sit.”

A pair of insoles costs about 3,000 yen ($28), and the mint aroma lasts for about six months, Aoyama said. (source)